Just wanted to put my plan on the first page, as it is right now, for folks just coming into this thread. (Read the rest of the thread for lots of great whole foods ideas for meeting nutritional needs, and for the whys of my choices re the following...)

Quote:

(I'm labeling some of these w/ the major vits/minerals I'm eating them for, but they contain way more than just the things I'm mentioning fyi!)

eggshell powder perhaps? (anyone do this and have recommendations to make it as easy as possible??) ETA: I'm thinking I may just freeze the eggshells (after rinsing out the white) and toss them in my bone broth--I don't see myself being consistent about making that kind of powder--seems too labor intensive I'm lazy. )

Any other recs? (Aside from the usual CLO, butter oil, bone broth, ferments, liver, etc.) I want to do herbal infusions (I have 2 big bags of oatstraw and nettles, but the nettles gave me WICKED headaches and I'm just looking to be cautious about this...) Any other herb recs? I'm also thinking of possibly TTC in the not-too-distant-future, so ideas for that would be appreciated as well! (As well as ideas of things to get into my dh for the best preconception nutrtion!)

B Vits--I really rely on liver--a/b 6 oz a week (snuck into ground meat), along w/ other meats for these. Nutritional yeast is great too--*if* I can find a way to cook w/ it that doesn't gross me out--not a huge fan of that stuff...

Vit C--I've found a corn-free sodium ascorbate just by googling, (you can sprinkle it on food or into drinks) but I also *believe* goji berries (a/b a tsp? daily) have TONS of Vit. C--I'm still looking into this. The acerola powder is where I'm planning to get this now--and its super affordable here: http://our4corners.net/ (thanks bluebirdmama1 for the rec on in old thread!

Magnesium--Natural Calm is what I'm *planning* to add in (hoping to make a nightly mix of my oatstraw infusion [good source of calcium], natural calm and perhaps milk thistle [liver support] tea. I'm working on it!) Currently we use Concentrace to supp trace minerals (added into water, bone broth) but it's still small amounts Did I mention bone broths (hello!), probably still a supp of mag (although it makes me so sleepy, I'm not great about taking it! Still working on finding the perfect source for me...), pink himalayan sea salt, eggshells in the bone broth, *maybe* diatamaceous earth (sp?)--still working on this!

Zinc--so far we rely on pumpkin seeds and other food sources for this. The pumpkin seeds I've been grinding into a 'flour' and baking with using lots of elana's pantry recipes (we also have thread on this topic in this forum) Not food based, but I've been thinking of getting body bio's drops for this--they have a mineral kit that you individualize by taste testing that's really cool--I may start w/ the zinc and add more later

Selenium--2 brazil nuts daily for me, 1 (in theory ) for ds. I've been thinking of creating a muffin recipe that incorperates many of these things so that I can actually get this stuff into him on a regular basis...(If I do it, I'll post!) You can also make brazil nut parmesian, just mix grated or food processed brazil nuts w/ garlic powder and salt...

Iodine I'm working on--sea seasonings kelp and kelp noodles are good sources, and you could also do lugol's--although iodine is an in depth process and not something to take lightly--check out THE Iodine thread to learn more about it (it can mobilize lots of stuff which isn't good unless all your detox pathways are super supported...)

Calcium--bone broth, and I do green smoothies daily (blend of various greens w/ fruit, plus some bee pollen--not GAPS friendly though) for calcium (the greens) plus lots of other goodies. See stuff in red for mag--the eggshell in the bone broth is certainly a great cal supp

Probiotics--juice kefir, homemade cultured veggies, homemade coconut milk yogurt, and bubbies pickles...Adding fermented veggie juices to my salad dressing in place of some of the vinegar

Spirulina, wheat grass, barley grass, etc. supp, along w/ bee pollen for all the good stuff in them. I also do fish oil as an additional supp as well now, along w/ getting salmon in 1-2x a week when I can. I've very recently noticed a reaction to eggs (WAHHHHH!)--terrible nausea whenever I eat them, so I'm cutting them for now, but will probably try to do egg yolks for all the goodies in them as well, prob. in smoothies.

Quote:

a gem of a post by Pat/WuWei on whole food supplements with multiple awesome links--the nutrient dense foods link might be really helpful in this area (if you're looking to supp w/ foods). Also, whfoods.com is an awesome resource for figuring out what foods carry which vitamins/minerals

Ok, so this thread has become my own food supplement plan, hope you all don't mind!

This is my plan for now (and I'm trying to be really realistic. It's a lot, but I'm still working on healing and hoping to prevent nutrient deficiency related issues in any future kiddo, as much as is possible):

Daily:

Probiotics through at least a TBS of fermented veggies, plus maybe a pill form (thinking to use a kirkmans supp w/ various strains--still figuring this out), also fermented veggie liquid in the salad dressing in my 'big ass salad' (yeah MDA!)

a shot of the spirulina greens etc supp (don't want to add to the smoothie--I'd rather get it down as a small shot )

Fish oil

vit D drops (I'm not doing CLO atm b/c of source issues [I will not reliably take fermented CLO b/c of the taste and the price, and every other source I've found has synthetic A to my knowledge] and recent info I've read on vit D deficiency as it relates to vit A, esp synthetic, retinol palmitate, although I plan on continuing A through foods and as betacarotene if its in supps)

*I'm thinking to add in a whole food based multi, just to cover my bases. Its probably overkill, but I just want to be really really supported. Not having a nutrient dense diet w/ my first pregnancy was just not good for us... I'm looking into the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Prenatal, also have looked at this: http://www.iherb.com/Country-Life-Re...ets/10733?at=0 (I won't do New Chapter b/c of the soy.) And I'm just leaning away from most synthetic vites, intuitively, or I'd probably go for something cheaper and simple (I like Special 2 by NOW, which is the same as Beeyoutiful's SuperMom supp--but I'm sure the reason I like it is b/c there are whole foods *added* that make you feel it working...) So, any other recs for a truly whole food multi are appreciated!

Weekly or more often:

Liver puree in ground meat/sauces, at least 1x a week

Bone broth made w/ bones, veggies and eggshells in soups, sauces and bbq sauce, multiple times a week

1-2 meals featuring omega 3 rich fish like salmon

Ghee all the time (I count it as a twist on high vitamin butter oil )

All this in addition to a mostly primal/paleo diet w/ an emphasis on high quality meat, fats and veggies.

This is my favorite tea in pregnancy. It is a nutrient supplement (iron, calcium, and many vitamins and trace minerals), and is an overall partus peparator or birth preparation brew. The dried herbs can be mixed in a large batch to have on hand. The tea is delicious both hot and cold, and it can be enjoyed by your whole family. ou can vary the quantities of the ingredients, or add and omit herbs from time to time. It is safe to drink this brew throughout pregnancy and during labor. It is beneficial for the postpartum as well, as it helps with milk production.

Mix all of the dried herbs together and store in an airtight container away from heat and light. To prepare your infusion, place a heaping 1/4 cup of the mixture in a quart-sized jar. Add boiling water to fill the jar, cover and let steep for a minimum of 30 minutes, a maximum of 2 hours. Strain, sweeten, and drink 1 to 4 cups daily.

I love your plans! I remember doing similar planning this past pregnancy, and it really was a great pregnancy.

My thoughts:

Diatomaceous earth reduces cholesterol, which you might not want to do during pregnancy. Not sure if it reduces the bad or the good or both. DE also has aluminium questions - every earth-based mineral source I've found does, including pascalite. Some folks feel confident that because of the form of the clay/earth and the aluminum, that it is not absorbed. Their arguments are very convincing, but I get a little skeevy during pregnancy, so I decided against it.

Your nettle issues could be caused by issues with your sulphate detox pathways, if I remember correctly. Something to do with not converting the sulphur in nettle into sulphate. If you can figure out some sort of all-purpose herbal infusion to do, in addition to RRL infusion, go for it. I'd vote for oatstraw. (I used to make simples of RRL and nettle, then mix them together to drink. By the last three weeks of the pregnancy, I was drinking a quart a day of the RRL infusion. My labor was a half hour -- basically I only felt the active part of labor, from transition on; my body must have done the rest completely painlessly. Go RRL!)

Organ Delight saved my butt last pregnancy.

Keep in mind that spirulina and greens detox. If you're already doing them, it's probably not as much of an issue, but it's not something you'd want to start or increase after conceiving.

I've been reading recently about Natural Calm reducing stomach acid because of the form it's in. Can you do epsom salts baths instead? You actually get more mag that way, too. The skin can absorb more than the digestive system. They've done studies showing the absorption is better. Epsom salts baths might help you process the nettle infusion, too, because it adds already-converted sulphates to the mix.

Nutritional yeast is great on popcorn -- have you tried it that way? With butter and salt? I also add it to my sauces and gravies.

Where are your omega 3's coming from? I decided to take extra fish oil during pregancy, but now that I've found canned salmon in BPA-free cans, I'd probably do that, with seaweed flakes added, as a source of omega 3's and iodine.

I struggled to get enough zinc, and still do. Hmmmm.

If I think of any more, I'll post. Love this stage! So exciting.

Mama to two sweet boys, a 7yo and a toddler .

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. - Albert Einstein

I love all your ideas. We aren't "trying" to concieve but aren't being really careful either I would rather wait a few more months before getting pregnant however it may take longer than that I have super irregular periods. I can't remember tho did you mention a folate source?But it sounds like you will be doing a lot of greens so you might be ok. I've been taking vitamineral green shots...that stuff is nasty!!!! about eggs they do the same thing to me when I eat them alone but haven't noticed them affecting me in baked goods.

What about cell salts? Bioplamsa and tonic E are supposed to be good for pre-conception and pregnancy.

I love your plans! I remember doing similar planning this past pregnancy, and it really was a great pregnancy.

My thoughts:

Diatomaceous earth reduces cholesterol, which you might not want to do during pregnancy. Not sure if it reduces the bad or the good or both. DE also has aluminium questions - every earth-based mineral source I've found does, including pascalite. Some folks feel confident that because of the form of the clay/earth and the aluminum, that it is not absorbed. Their arguments are very convincing, but I get a little skeevy during pregnancy, so I decided against it.

Your nettle issues could be caused by issues with your sulphate detox pathways, if I remember correctly. Something to do with not converting the sulphur in nettle into sulphate. If you can figure out some sort of all-purpose herbal infusion to do, in addition to RRL infusion, go for it. I'd vote for oatstraw. (I used to make simples of RRL and nettle, then mix them together to drink. By the last three weeks of the pregnancy, I was drinking a quart a day of the RRL infusion. My labor was a half hour -- basically I only felt the active part of labor, from transition on; my body must have done the rest completely painlessly. Go RRL!)

LOL--um, yeah. I KNOW I have sulphate detox issues. Sometimes I stick my fingers in my ears and try and forget about them. I'm gonna talk more about this later in my post, b/c a lightbulb has kind of switched on for me and is helping me make these supp decisions.

I have oatstraw, and nettles, and will probably *try* doing nettles in smaller doses, combined w/ oatstraw, RRL, and maybe some of the others. My first (and only so far) labor was 50+ hours, (and I did relatively little to support myself nutritionally besides a crappy prenatal during that preg.), so I wouldn't mind it going a little more quickly next time.

Organ Delight saved my butt last pregnancy.Sweet! Did I mention I'm lazy? I've not figured out a way to eat liver w/out being grossed out. I can do it if I hide small amounts, pureed, in sauces and ground beef for tacos, etc--but I can sometimes still taste it and get grossed out. (I'm sure it's partly mental!) Anyway, I think the extras in organ delights could/will be really good for me.

Keep in mind that spirulina and greens detox. If you're already doing them, it's probably not as much of an issue, but it's not something you'd want to start or increase after conceiving. Thanks for the info. I totally haven't been taking them religiously at all, but am not planning to TTC for a couple months, so I don't think it will be an issue then (but I'll make sure to take them regularly though then!) They sure make me feel amazing. And that's just another reason to support my detox pathways, eh?

I've been reading recently about Natural Calm reducing stomach acid because of the form it's in. Can you do epsom salts baths instead? You actually get more mag that way, too. The skin can absorb more than the digestive system. They've done studies showing the absorption is better. Epsom salts baths might help you process the nettle infusion, too, because it adds already-converted sulphates to the mix.

I actually have a mag sulfate cream, and could possibly make more cheaply. I'll look into this. I really don't like how I feel taking mag--I get SOOOOOOOOO tired, that I never consistently take it (I've done various forms of mag citrate I think.) I'm going to look into this more, b/c I KNOW I need it (that old sulphation pathway issue pops up again! )

Nutritional yeast is great on popcorn -- have you tried it that way? With butter and salt? I also add it to my sauces and gravies.

We don't do popcorn b/c of ds's corn intolerance, but the thought of it grosses me out. I'm terrible about it! I can take almost anything, but for some reason it tastes soooo bad to me, even a hint of it is nasty! I'll work on it--maybe I could hide it in a sauce to add a cheesy flavor...

Where are your omega 3's coming from? I decided to take extra fish oil during pregancy, but now that I've found canned salmon in BPA-free cans, I'd probably do that, with seaweed flakes added, as a source of omega 3's and iodine.

I take 1 NOW DHA 500 fish oil, and 1 GNC triple strength fish oil. It's a lot, but I feel like I need it. Salmoncakes were my go to b/4 for omega 3s (and seafood), but now that I get nausea each time I eat eggs (I think I've developed an intolerance, or exacerbated it by eating eggs all day every day)...I'm gonna need a new plan. I've never eaten seafood really, so need to work on that. (Gosh I'm picky!!) I like the idea of seaweed flakes added--I use Maine Coast Sea Vegetables sea seasonings kelp flakes in most stuff, in addition to the salt and pepper. I can't do *too* much of those though or I have detox issues (again...working on it )

I struggled to get enough zinc, and still do. Hmmmm.

That's one reason I wanted a multi as backup, for some of the minerals. It's a tough one. I've never eaten oysters, and the thought of them isn't appealing to me...Pumpkin seeds, but it's still hard to get enough IMO.

If I think of any more, I'll post. Love this stage! So exciting.

Thank you!!!

So I was thinking, as far as the sulfation pathway issues go, good things are the B vites, mag, folate?, maybe zinc, biotin? I need to relook at it all.

And I was thinking about why I feel this need to take a multi. It's not for the A, C, D, E, K etc.--it's really for the Bs (I really feel like I *need* to supp Bs in some manner, maybe b/c of my detox pathway issues) and the minerals. So I'm now toying w/ the idea of taking the Garden of Life food based B-Complex (which I read great things about on iherb), along w/ *possibly* a multimineral of some sort? (jigsaw carries one free of cal and mag which looks really good I think), w/ supplemental mag on the side (maybe epsom salts through the skin as you mentioned mbravebird). It could be cheaper, and I think maybe better *for me*. Folate I'd need to look into though.

I love all your ideas. We aren't "trying" to concieve but aren't being really careful either I would rather wait a few more months before getting pregnant however it may take longer than that I have super irregular periods. I can't remember tho did you mention a folate source?But it sounds like you will be doing a lot of greens so you might be ok. I've been taking vitamineral green shots...that stuff is nasty!!!!

Is vitamineral greens a good source of folate? I NEED to look into the folate thing...I eat TONS of greens, but still would like the 'backup'

about eggs they do the same thing to me when I eat them alone but haven't noticed them affecting me in baked goods.

Good to know. I think if I avoid them enough I'll be able to do them in moderation. I ate an egg yolk this morning and felt fine

What about cell salts? Bioplamsa and tonic E are supposed to be good for pre-conception and pregnancy.

I'll look into these--I have no idea what they are!

Any ideas on multimineral supps? I'm not as concerened w/ nonsynthetic w/ minerals...

WHOAH! I guess I NEED to add those in--they sound amazing! And totally something helpful for folks w/ gut/absorption issues...Maybe I could not even use a multimineral supp at all if I went w/ those...Hmmmm...

It's not 100% applicable to you, of course, but it has some stuff about B vitamins before TTC and herbal supplements such as dandelion or milk thistle.

Where do you pick up the Organ Delight supplement? Is that something a health food store would carry? Order online? I grew up ovo-lacto vegetarian. I've been eating meat for the last 12+ years but the thought of eating liver just grosses me out.

So if you're already doing organ meats (by supplement) and green leafy veges, maybe add a serving or two of beans a week and fresh strawberries and/or melons (especially since they're in season now).

Before TTC I just did New Chapter prenatals, Omega-3's, and Vit D along with a whole foods based diet. I had less m/s than with DS which meant I gave up coffee and the smell of cooked broccoli was nasty, but nothing other than that. At my first prenatal my MW brought me nourishment tea. Her recipe is nettles, RRL, oatstraw, alfalfa, rose hips, and spearmint. DH calls it "grass tea" since that's what it kind of smells like. It tastes fine, though a bit earthy.

Thanks for the awesome link Eresh! I luckily had no nausea in my first pregnancy, but that info would be great to have on hand just in case. Seems a lot of the supports are helpful anyway as well. The nourishing tea recipe looks great too.

Thanks for the folate info too--I eat most of those foods regularly (except beans--which I know are a really rich source of folate). I'm going to keep looking into it as well. The B vit I'm interested in has like 400mg, maybe w/ my food sources that would be enough...

So I was thinking, as far as the sulfation pathway issues go, good things are the B vites, mag, folate?, maybe zinc, biotin? I need to relook at it all.

And I was thinking about why I feel this need to take a multi. It's not for the A, C, D, E, K etc.--it's really for the Bs (I really feel like I *need* to supp Bs in some manner, maybe b/c of my detox pathway issues) and the minerals. So I'm now toying w/ the idea of taking the Garden of Life food based B-Complex (which I read great things about on iherb), along w/ *possibly* a multimineral of some sort? (jigsaw carries one free of cal and mag which looks really good I think), w/ supplemental mag on the side (maybe epsom salts through the skin as you mentioned mbravebird). It could be cheaper, and I think maybe better *for me*. Folate I'd need to look into though.

This is really exciting to me!!

Totally understand the desire to have backup in the form of a multi, particularly once you're pregnant and the first-trimester woozies start. You never know what you're going to react to, it changes with each baby it seems. I did the exact same thing as you -- I carefully chose some supplements that I could take on the days when I knew my diet wasn't up to snuff. The idea of a B supp and a mineral supp makes a lot of sense, because just a multi might give you extra of things that you don't really want. Also, a multi gives you folic acid instead of folate, which is not that great.

Asparagus is a great source of folate. I craved it like a mofo my first trimester. Come to find out it was exactly what I needed! I would eat, seriously, a pound at a time.

I do think that when you are using foods as your main source of nutrition, and focusing on whole, bio-available, unprocessed foods, your body can be a really reliable guide to what you need. You will crave it.

YES on the cell salts!!! It will help you better absorb the minerals you are already getting, although it shouldn't be seen as a mineral supp in and of itself. (I think that's right -- mom61508, correct me if I'm wrong.)

I'm interested in a good mineral supp too. Nettle infusion really helps me, but there are days I don't get to it.

It is exciting! Yay! Something about preparing for a baby in this way is so inspiring/energizing.

Mama to two sweet boys, a 7yo and a toddler .

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. - Albert Einstein

They're a really great company. I got personal confirmation from them that not only are their cans BPA-free, but they've had the resulting fish lab-tested to see if there are any traces of BPA in them. The only one that still showed traces was the tuna; they're not sure why. All the rest came back clean.

If you order in large quanitities, the price is the same as the "natural" grocery store salmon, and the shipping is free. I go in with other people to get the large quantities.

Mama to two sweet boys, a 7yo and a toddler .

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. - Albert Einstein

Vegetable Sources of K2
Fermented foods such as fermented soy beans, are excellent sources for vitamin K2. Natto, a by-product of fermented soy beans eaten in Japan, is the best source of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 may also be consumed as a vitamin supplement.
Animal Sources of K2
Organ meats such as liver, eggs, cheeses, fermented cheeses and curd are good sources of vitamin K2.
Other Considerations
Vegetables that are high in vitamin K, such as green peas, can also be a good source of vitamin K2. For example, green peas are a good source of vitamin K, some of which is converted into K2 by the body. Other excellent sources of vitamin K include spinach, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, asparagus, mustard greens, carrots and green beans. Similarly, some soy products contain a bacteria that can convert vitamin K1 into vitamin K2.

I bolded the sources I eat regularly (well, I try and get liver regularly...) and can tolerate...Egg yolks seem ok (today) not whole eggs right now... Hmmm... Maybe organ delight? (That's going to be my fall-back for everything )

Just fyi, we avoid gluten, dairy (except ghee), corn and soy (I'm lenient on corn & soy in supps for me--ds reacts to everything else through my milk. I also personally (not ds) avoid grains, beans, most sugars...eat lots of meat, veggies, fruit, some nuts/seeds, and lots of good fats. Oh and dark chocolate--did I mention that I need to look into K2 more...

And from reading more, it looked like the cell salts, as you said, are not a mineral supp, but help you absorb the minerals in food/supps. Pretty cool!

So, basically what Eresh said. I do eat a LOT of leafy greens. But seriously, I just need to eat more liver. I need to find that liver pills thread...I'm sure I'd love slurping down some cold raw liver in the first trimester.

Is eating raw liver ok in pregnancy? With the concern over listeria and all? Any links on this ladies? And what about the whole too-much-vit-A stuff? That is just synthetic vit A, right?? Not real liver? (I'm really not worried I'll be eating *too much* liver--that's never been a problem of mine )

I like liver myself but did use the Dr. Ron's organ delight as well in my last pregnancy and felt it really helped. I personally am not concerned w/ raw liver in pregnancy or not - but having tried it just once and getting grossed out I would prefer to stick to liver pate myself.

I like liver myself but did use the Dr. Ron's organ delight as well in my last pregnancy and felt it really helped. I personally am not concerned w/ raw liver in pregnancy or not - but having tried it just once and getting grossed out I would prefer to stick to liver pate myself.

Glad you felt organ delight helped--how much did you take a day? (I'm thinking around 2 a day if I don't eat liver.) We'll see! (I'm such a chicken--I've still not made pate. I'm terrible. I know there is supposed to be a great dairy free recipe, maybe on nourishing gourmet, w/ anchovies...I need to try and make it some time....)

Um...I'm not rich, so I may need to get a little more realistic here and be a little more choosy w/ all these things--my list of things to get is getting long! Some of the things are a lot cheaper than others...we'll see...I'll keep on updating w/ changes as I make them.

I cannot remember for sure but I am thinking I did a few caps a day- especially pp when I was out of good liver. I make pate dairy free- I have used tallow and lard in it both. I think a big key w/ pate is to make sure you don't overcook it- it needs to be soft to blend well and carmelized onions add a lot to it. My last batch I didn't watch it well and overcooked it trying to blend it into pate just didn't work in my cheapo food processor. I had posted the recipe I use at some time on this forum- I kind of make it like liverwurst. If you get the spices and everything just right it is amazing. I like it w/ celery but have ate it w/ some nut/seed crackers a friend made it was yummy that way as well- put some sea veggies in those crackers and you have something else good for you

Yes vitamineral green is high in folate but it is detoxifying too. It has spirulina and chlorella too. I wonder If the organ delight will be highly absorbed, I mean If your gut isn't the best shape you know? and yes the cell salts are a mineral supp but they really help your cells open up(bioplasma) to absorb everything else you take in better.

When I was pregnant with DD I couldn't even look at a salad or vegetables nearly the whole pregnancy I didn't do a green supp either or much of anything actually. This was of course before I knew better about nutrition and pregnancy. What about milk thistle?

Yes vitamineral green is high in folate but it is detoxifying too. It has spirulina and chlorella too. I wonder If the organ delight will be highly absorbed, I mean If your gut isn't the best shape you know? and yes the cell salts are a mineral supp but they really help your cells open up(bioplasma) to absorb everything else you take in better.

I have taken dr ron's liver pills in the past, and I could really really feel them working. I needed to up my dose from 1 to 3 slooooowly, or I had b-vitamin nightmares. I felt the same thing w/ a b-complex--just less than w/ the liver. I still have gut issues, but all the tf eating and ferments etc have done a ton for me! And I'm totally going to do the cell salts--they sound fabulous! And Panserbjorne highly recs them--thats good enough for me!

When I was pregnant with DD I couldn't even look at a salad or vegetables nearly the whole pregnancy I didn't do a green supp either or much of anything actually. This was of course before I knew better about nutrition and pregnancy.

I don't even want to think a/b my prenatal nutrition during ds' pregnancy--but I don't recall having any aversions. Hopefully that woud be the case in the future!

What about milk thistle?

Milk thistle--for liver support? I saw it can help w/ nausea from a link earlier in the thread--what else does itdo?

So, I read this article by Dr. Ron Schmidt about the differences between synthetic and food based vitamins.

Quote:

Understanding the "food vitamin" supplements is a bit tricky and warrants explanation. There are three general types of products that are often referred to as "food vitamins."

One type is made by taking standard USP (United States Pharmacopeia) vitamins (manufactured in laboratories by biochemical processes) and putting them in tablets or occasionally capsules with dried foods and herbs (along with fillers and other additives used in production). Taking these vitamins is no different from taking standard USP vitamins with a meal (but a lot more expensive).

A second type of "food vitamin" is supplements made by adding standard USP vitamins to a liquid broth containing yeast. As the yeast grows, the vitamins and minerals are incorporated into the cell structure of the yeast. The yeast is then killed in a drying process, and the residue is pressed into tablets with herbs, binders and manufacturing additives. The companies New Chapter and Megafood use this type of process to make their products.

Because of the amount of space taken up by the yeast, products made this way are very low in potency. Even if absorption is superior, the low potency and high cost makes them very cost-inefficient for anyone wishing to take, say, 500 mg of vitamin C, or 100 mg of Coenzyme Q10, or 400 IU of vitamin E, on a daily basis. Another problem I've encountered is that many people taking these yeast-based supplements for any length of time develop yeast sensitivities. This is particularly true for those with a history of candida problems (common in our carbohydrate-addicted culture).

The third kind of "food vitamin" supplements is products that are actually dried foods, often organic, pressed into tablets with the aid of manufacturing additives. Again because of size constraints, these products are necessarily of very low potency in terms of the amount of vitamins and minerals present, although some people feel they have potent effects. While they may be of excellent quality, they are very cost-inefficient. Taking these supplements might be compared to eating good organic foods, in very small quantities.

That is totally what the Garden of Life brand is as well (2nd type). He recommends Thorne Research products for supping large amounts of vits/minerals (like the Bs I'm wanting to supp...) and says not to supp fat soluable vits synthetically (A, D, E, K), but through foods...He also has a vit/mineral supp on his site that is extremely expensive, although it *seems* to contain some good, absorbable forms of vites...

I'm replying mostly to sub, we may, possibly, be TTC within a year (don't want to jinx anything!).

That chicken liver pate recipe is supposed to be really good, and chicken liver's really high in folate. I'm another who hasn't tried it yet though.

I'm being very non-TF right now trying to get my vitA stores up, I'm taking Carlson's vitA gel-caps, they're from fish, I think it's a food-based A, but clearly it's been processed quite a bit.

I've seen my need for supplementing K2 and zinc go down when we started bioplasma, it's great stuff. K2 for me and DS, zinc for DD, and I feel like, overall, I'm doing fine taking less of my regular multivit now that I'm taking the bioplasma. And it seems to be helping me with cal and mag too--I'm totally sold on the stuff now, wish I'd started it a couple years ago.

Overall I like Thorne, they have real folate instead of folic acid, but I'm still torn about whether I can do this with food and food-based supplements. I haven't decided for myself yet, I may take mbravebird's suggestions and have a Plan A and a Plan B for when I can't eat.

I've been surprisingly happy taking the frozen liver chunks, I don't know if it'll work early in pregnancy, but it's one of the few foods that I've felt a real, short-term benefit from consuming.

Anyway, congratulations on getting to this point! It's so exciting. I'll keep watching to see what other ideas you come up with.

well I'm pregnant rather than TTC, but here's what I'm taking (most days):

a 'bio-available' multi (made by nutri-spec)
HVCLO and HVBO
1 organ capsule (can't afford dr ron's, i'm taking natural sources version)
frozen liver pills (i feel a huge difference in how i feel when taking these)
probiotics (natren, was occasionally now that i'm nearing the end i'm taking them daily)
herbal tea: RRL, nettle, alfalfa, dandelion, oatstraw, skullcap, rosehips, spearmint
for the last trimester i'm taking mega foods blood builder
recently started taking floradix too
i took d.earth for a month or so earlier in my pregnancy, really helped with my bathroom issues. but didn't feel comfortable taking it long term.
bee propolis
i got some natural calm, but it's upsetting my stomach, so I've stopped
magnesium- realized i wasn't taking the nutri-spec magnesium and sulphur drops prescribed to me, so i'm taking those again too since i can't stomach the naural calm.
i recently added cell salts- bioplasma and also tissue p from 1800homeopathy.com

i think that's everything. i'm reading your lists for ideas! as if i need more supplements i've considered taking some kind of greens/spirulina/chlorella. i've taken it in the past and i just remember it tasting yucky and having to force myself to take it. so i haven't done it. can't even remember WHY it's good for you. will someone enlighten me? or i guess i could stop being lazy and google it...

mama toDS born 9/7/05, DD born 8/20/07, DS born 9/4/10 and DS born 11/26/13

I've seen my need for supplementing K2 and zinc go down when we started bioplasma, it's great stuff. K2 for me and DS, zinc for DD, and I feel like, overall, I'm doing fine taking less of my regular multivit now that I'm taking the bioplasma. And it seems to be helping me with cal and mag too--I'm totally sold on the stuff now, wish I'd started it a couple years ago.

SWEET!

Quote:

I've been surprisingly happy taking the frozen liver chunks, I don't know if it'll work early in pregnancy, but it's one of the few foods that I've felt a real, short-term benefit from consuming.

Alright, that's it. I'm getting grass fed beef liver tomorrow at the market. (They are like 1.50 a lb or something ridiculously cheap from my rockin' farmer!) Directions on how to cut them up into pill form mamas? I can search it too (I'll edit this if/when I look it up and find that.)

I've continued researching, and it looks like Quantum is a pretty great vit. company, which uses mostly whole foods and highly absorbable vites. I *may* go w/ their B vit complex (if I can make sure it's gluten free), maybe use their green supp (instead of the Amazing Grass I've been using up (I've had it in my cupboard at least a year!) or their daily multi, and then the rest of my plan written earlier. But the B's are quite expensive...maybe I'll just go w/ Thorne as they seem similar, and at least that is allergen free. GAH! I'm obsessive about stuff, so I'm going a little crazy here in my searching...

And seriously, I've got deficiencies to make up for, or I wouldn't be *as* mental a/b this...

Have you felt a difference taking these? They are insanely cheaper than dr rons. They contain maltodextrin which freaks me out b/c of ds's corn sensitivity, but I do get traace amonts from other sources, probably a lot. Hmmm...

i've considered taking some kind of greens/spirulina/chlorella. i've taken it in the past and i just remember it tasting yucky and having to force myself to take it. so i haven't done it. can't even remember WHY it's good for you. will someone enlighten me? or i guess i could stop being lazy and google it...

They just make me feel good and energizeed--that's all I really know a/b them!

Thank you for all the brand names and your input on the cell salts and d. earth!

Prefacing by reminding you all that I'm mental and clearly indecisive...

One other thought i'm having, is to forget the whole 'synthetic vites aren't good' idea, and to just use the Special 2 Multi by Now (also marketed as SuperMom by Beeyoutiful) which I've really enjoyed taking--feels soooo good--in place of the B complex, Minerals & Green Supp, b/c it contains all of those. Maybe not in as absorbable forms for some, but it is soooo energizing and I really like it. It does not have synthetic retinol palmitate which is a plus. Thoughts? (I said I'm indecisive, right?) My only worry is getting too much of a bad form of a vitamin causing problems down the line...I still don't know enough about this...

So instead it would be the supermom multi, vit D, fish oil, probiotics, organs from natural sources [b/c it seems great, and the vitacost link even says corn free!], and bioplasma cell salts, plus the 'daily food supps' in my last post.

ETA: This would bring my monthly supp total down to $32.

The herbs, acerola powder, and bee pollen, I can get in bulk very affordably at http://our4corners.net/ which I will probably do.

I also feel like eating liver daily would really help on the b-vite front...

Sorry to be so crazy and wishwashy and serial-posty! Just trying to figure out the best, and most affordable, plan for *me*!